The weather was growing warmer and warmer, and today, the skies were especially clear.
On the empty field of the tomb-mound, a gentle morning haze drifted in, dampening the earth beneath their feet and bringing with it a faint, refreshing scent.
By the border of the mixed-wood grove at the edge of the Kingdom, a few cows were lazily munching on lush grass, occasionally letting out low, satisfied moos.
At the center of the open space stood an ancient tree, towering high above, beneath which jutted a jagged boulder about half a person’s height.
The burly captain strode over to the boulder, gave a little leap, and sat steadily on top, surveying the scene.
It wasn’t long before the rest of the Rebellion Squad arrived one after another, everyone gathering in a group, taking advantage of the tree’s shade, all eyes turning to the captain.
Since the news of the other rebel forces’ annihilation had arrived, some days had passed.
The Royal Messenger sent to Valivadan had not yet returned.
The members of this Rebellion Squad had grown more and more listless, mired in pessimism and apathy, gradually losing their faith in resisting the Blood Clan.
Unbeknownst to all, the whole organization had begun to loosen, and if things continued as they were, the only outcome would be utter dissolution.
The captain had been weighed down with worry for a long time, unable to come up with a solution.
Today, receiving a letter from Ashan was, to him, like long-awaited rain after a drought.
“Friends, we have some good news today!” He raised his hand and clapped to get everyone’s attention.
“That heroic Ashan from the distant tribe—he’s still alive!”
“The Blood Clan couldn’t kill him! Ha, what a shame for them—they not only failed, but Ashan managed to steal crucial information from them! Look what I have here—”
As he finished, he raised the letter, smoothing out its wrinkles, and held it up over his head.
“This letter was sent straight from the heart of the Royal Capital, delivered from Hailuosen Castle! Look, our people have already infiltrated deep into the castle!”
Hearing that name, everyone instantly went silent, a trace of fear flickering across their faces.
They exchanged uncertain glances, not quite willing to believe it.
But when they saw the burning look in the captain’s eyes, the long-standing cloud of gloom in their hearts was gently lifted, replaced by a faint stirring of hope.
“Ashan? Could it be that Ashan—the very one from the stories? The one who used to lead us all around, posting flyers and spreading the word?”
“That’s right! That’s him! He’s also the nightmare of the Blood Clan, one of the Three Aces of Blackwing! Rumor has it, he once killed that infamous Bloodkin Knight, Cass!”
“To think one of us could be that powerful! If only I had that kind of strength, the Blood Clan would be nothing to fear!”
Seeing everyone getting excited and the conversation drifting off-topic, an elderly member sighed heavily.
“So… what does the letter actually say?” he asked, finally steering things back on track.
“Everyone, quiet down. I’ll tell you right now.”
The captain cleared his throat. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried weight.
“It happened just a few weeks ago.
“In order to investigate the slaughter of Blood Clan of Ansels soldiers, Ashan hid out in a peasant’s stable in a small village. For the first three days, he kept a low profile and stayed hidden, but on the fourth day, his carelessness got him spotted by the peasant.”
“That old farmer was Blood Clan too. Seeing Ashan was a fellow clansman, his heart softened with a bit of pity and he didn’t report him to the lord—instead, he quietly let him go.”
“But just at that time, the Living Sacrifice Decree from the Royal Capital arrived, demanding more Living Sacrifices. The whole village was thrown into panic, and after several rounds of voting and selection, the one chosen as Sacrificial Offering was the old farmer’s only relative—his own son, the Peasant’s Son.”
“In his anguish, that was when he met that thin-faced, silver-haired youth.”
“The young man wore a slightly rebellious grin and pointed to the boy tied up beneath the execution scaffold.”
‘Old man, let me take his place.’
“It was a simple sentence.”
“Ashan then got on the wagon meant for transporting the Sacrificial Offering and, after a long journey, used his brilliant disguise techniques to pose as the farmer’s son. Both had dark hair, and the knights escorting them didn’t suspect a thing.”
“In this way, he successfully infiltrated Hailuosen Castle.”
“The castle’s guards were indeed strict, but for someone like him, it wasn’t an unbreakable cage.”
“Ashan spent some effort to distract the head jailer and even snuck into the servant quarters, grabbing a maid’s uniform.”
‘Who would have thought that I, a grown man, would one day wear a maid’s skirt!’
“Donning the maid’s attire, Ashan smirked at himself in the mirror before slipping quietly into the various rooms of the castle.”
“Marching straight through the main hall was too risky, so he switched tactics and began exploring the castle’s corners.”
“The castle’s layout was extremely complicated, and he blundered about like a headless fly, accidentally stumbling right into Nori’s room.”
‘Damn, isn’t this place a little too luxurious…’
“Though he’d grown used to the opulent halls of Hailuosen Castle, when Ashan saw Princess Nori’s chamber, he was still awed by its sheer extravagance.”
“Within Princess Nori’s room, every wall was inlaid with dazzling gems that sparkled like stars scattered across the sky, golden and resplendent. On the canopy bed lay a soft brocade quilt, its edges embroidered with intricate, delicate patterns—clearly worth a fortune at first glance.”
“Ashan hid with childish caution in a wall alcove, using the small tea table as cover, carefully observing the little princess resting atop the bed.”
“Beside the golden-haired little princess stood a tall maid. The maid held a bottle of precious perfume, carefully anointing Her Highness Nori.”
‘”Marentia, does Nori smell nice now?” Princess Nori blinked her bright eyes, her tone carrying a hint of challenge.’
‘Marentia smiled gently and replied, “Your scent is already the most beautiful fragrance in this world.”‘
‘”Really?” Nori’s brows drew together slightly, her voice taking on a note of irritation. “Is that true? But Nori hates this cloying smell.”‘
‘”It’s really true—no, it’s not that!”‘
“Marentia’s heart trembled, her smile wavering. Just as she stood nervously, Nori suddenly grabbed the perfume bottle, her eyes flashing with mischief.”
“Before Marentia could react, Nori gave it a twist, tipping the whole bottle of perfumed water over her, drenching her head to toe.”
“She cried out in surprise, feeling a wave of icy, sticky fragrance envelop her, a chill running through her heart.”
‘”You’d better remember to keep everything Nori says in mind, Marentia.” Nori tugged Marentia’s hair, “Nori’s in a bad mood today. No matter what I do, you’d better put up with it.”‘
‘”What’s wrong… Your Highness, what happened?” The maid asked in concern, surprised by the outburst.’
‘”Do you really have to ask? That Countess—she acts so polite to Lier, but in front of Nori, she can’t even muster a bit of respect!”‘
“Nori gnashed her teeth.”
‘”Lier’s elder sister is naturally wonderful, but is that any reason to look at Nori with those same eyes she uses for that arrogant, useless younger daughter? Nori is nothing like her!”‘
‘”Lier… Her Highness… she’s not as bad as you say…”‘
“Marentia stammered.”
“Crash—”
“In the next instant, the perfume bottle slipped from Nori’s hand, shattering on the floor with a crisp sound, shards scattering everywhere, glittering coldly.”
‘”Oh? So you don’t agree with me, my dear Marentia? Are you siding with her now?”‘
‘”No, it’s not like that! I just… just…”‘
‘”Shut up!” Nori suddenly lashed out, slapping the maid hard. “Now that my mother’s rules fill the Royal Capital, Astiat is just a puppet. What does that Hisierta amount to?”‘
‘”Yes, Your Highness…”‘
“Pointing to the handprint on her cheek, tears welled up in Marentia’s eyes.”
‘”Jalkun can’t save her, and Nori… just finds it pathetic, that’s all.”‘
“Nori rolled her eyes, jumped off the bed, and walked out onto the balcony.”
‘”Let this be my last warning—don’t say anything good about her in front of Nori.”‘
“Understood!”
“The tall maid quickly followed, her footsteps hurried and disordered.”
“As the two women’s attention turned to the window, it was the perfect opportunity!”
“Ashan’s eyes lit up. Without a sound, he crawled out from the wall and, light as a feather, slipped out of Nori’s room within a heartbeat.”
“He couldn’t help curling his lips into a grin. Every word he’d just overheard, Ashan committed to memory without missing a single detail.”
“After he left, a gust of wind blew in through the window, stirring the curtains of Nori’s room. The silhouettes of the princess and her maid lingered against the light, leaving only their blurred outlines behind.”
‘”I think he’s gone now,” Nori said, her smile sly, turning back to look at Marentia, on whose face the blood from her cheek was still visible.’
‘”Not bad just now, Marentia.”‘ Nori reached out to gently wipe away the blood from the maid’s cheek. “Nori is satisfied.”
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